Lake Powhatan — National Forests In North Carolina

We had a lot of fun at our glamping campsite. The gorgeous tent was on a platform and included a large bed and decorated interior. The site had a campfire ring and was close to the bathroom. The platform had some chairs and the campfire wood was there for us.

I did have a bear encounter on my way to the bathroom during the night, but we both just backed away slowly. This was actually the experience that made me pro-camper with a bathroom lol.

The camp host arrived shortly after we did to check in on us and to give us the lay of the land. He fortunately also came around the next morning when our car battery was dead and gave us a jump.

The best thing about Lake Powhatan is the the nice hike around the lake and the fun little lake beach. It’s the perfect size for kids. Plenty of people also seem to enjoy the biking, but it’s a bit uphill for me and there can be a fair amount of cars.

Lake Powhatan is a great little getaway!

My adventure was quiet and full of stars at night. I liked the clean restroom and bike friendly space

We spent a great weekend at Lake Powhatan.  I was a little nervous after reading reviews that said that the staff & hosts could be aggressive.  We had no trouble there.  Everyone we encountered was very friendly and helpful.   I saw a host drive by in a golf cart once, but we were basically left to our own devices.   I did not see anyone who could have been the older male mentioned in the older reviews across a few different websites, so the former problematic hosts may have moved on. 

We stayed on the Hard Times loop at 90 and 91.  We scoped out both spots when we got there and decided 91 would be our base camp and 90 would be used for extra parking.  91 was on the outer loop and had some woods behind it for the kids to play.  There was also more room to spread out.  There was enough level space for a 6 person tent, 4 person tent, and large shelter (over the rather large concrete picnic table).   There were also a few trees within the spot, that made rain-prep tarping easier.  The space was fairly sunny when the weather cleared up so we kept the tarp up for some shade Saturday afternoon.  (Trees didn't have leaves yet, not sure if it would be shadier later in the Spring/Summer). 

90 had steps leading up to the spot which were cool, but could be problematic for someone with mobility issues or young children.  The useable space was a bit smaller, too.  It was also closer to neighbors on the other side of the interior loop.  Bathrooms were close to both, but closer to 90.  Could be considered too close for some, perfect for others.  If we had only booked 90 it would have been lovely, but 91 was the better spot.   

The bathrooms were some of the cleanest we've seen.  My husband, who normally does not comment on that sort of thing, pointed it out more than once.  When we got there they were spotless, but took a little beating with the rainy weather. They were cleaned Saturday morning and someone was in there cleaning up again after the rain stopped.

Dumpsters were within walking distance, which was nice to be able to walk it down instead of putting it in your car for the night.  There was also aluminum recycling.  

The lake was close enough for my 7 & 8 year olds to bike.   And there were so many trails to chose from.  

A friend stayed at the glamping sites and thought they were fantastic.  And happened to be very close to our spot. 

There was a water spigot on the road in front of site 90 which made filling up our water cooler so easy. 

A few things that didn't bother us too much but others might want to know:

There is no camp store for extra supplies, but they do sell ice and plenty of firewood at the gate.  

There are only two bathroom stalls per bathhouse.  There were a couple of times when both would be in use, but I never had to wait long and there was never a line. 

We had very little cell service (Verizon).  We could sporadically send texts, but not get on the internet.

Our first time to Lake Powhatan and won’t be our last. We stayed in the lakeside loop and it was extremely clean and quiet despite many of the sites booked for the weekend. Bathroom was clean and easily accessible. Would definitely recommend to others!

Very nice camp sites and the staff was helpful and friendly. We stayed in the hard times loop and did notice a water pressure issue with one of the showers as others mentioned, but the other shower was fine and both had nice hot water. We were able to access multiple mountain biking and hiking trails directly from the campsite which was the goal of our trip.

Stayed in the dry camping Hard Times Loop. Busy due to its close proximity to Asheville, but nice spacing between sites that felt private. Enjoyed the closeness to the Biltmore Estate, Blue Ridge Parkway, NC Aboretum, and all Asheville has to offer.

Loved the lush forest surroundings! Campsites are well shaded and have good privacy. Lots of trails for hiking and mountain biking (most are marked on the trail map but there’s also many unmarked trails if you want to be adventurous). Can take the trails to the NC Arboretum which is nearby if you wish.

Only negative was the bathrooms- were decently clean but sinks only have cold water and showers only have one temperature setting (warm) on a timer. Also can’t adjust shower head and it faces down very close to the wall. Didn’t affect our overall experience too much as everything else here made our stay well worth it!

We saw bears and reported them so they could try to scare them off with air horns. The showers had little pressure and terrible nozzles so the water pretty much just dropped down the side. Sites were nice and there was a swimming area.

PROS 

Discounted camp fee with senior pass 

Reserved 169 days prior to arriving 

Friendly and helpful gate attendant 

Nearly 100% shade at each site 

Excellent dark sky viewing 

Private sites with large space along with vegetation between sites 

Very quiet 

Asphalt parking pad surrounded with bean size gravel 

Concrete picnic table 

Metal fire pit with cooking grate 

2 hook lantern pole 

Electric at water connection for heated water hose connection 

Recycle bins in campground loop 

Trash dumpsters immediately out of campground loop 

Firewood for sale but gate attendant told us to buy at Ingles (grocery store) where it is $3 bundle cheaper and we did! 

Next to North Carolina Arboretum 

Close to Asheville Outlet Mall and Camping World 

CONS 

3 bear sitings a day prior to our arrival in campground, according to gate attendant 

No overnight gate closure even tho RULES proved at check-in stated gates closed at 10pm, but no open hours in RULES

 Lakeview site 38 not level 

Up hill sewer connection at Lakeview site 38 

Fire ring not cleared of ash upon our arrival 

Non-moveable concrete picnic table and beyond camper awning 

2 toilets and 2 showers for entire Lakeview Loop (21 campsites). There were lines! 

Low hanging tree branches over roadways and roadside tree branches over roadways so it was a maneuvering obstacle challenge to not scrape camper roof and sides Campground roads narrow with tight curves along with roadway asphalt dropped off to steep shoulders; could be challenging to novice rig drivers (as we witnessed that more than once) 

Two-and- a-half-mile drive on a twisty hilly road through residential neighborhood to get to the campground 

No WiFi 

1 bar Verizon

We stayed at site 15 with our Runaway camper and friends that were in a tent. Plenty of room at the campsite and the facilities were nice as well. Close to town and local breweries which was a plus 😉

BEAUTIFUL and Clean campsite. Very convenient stations to dispose of trash, grab fresh clean water, use the restroom, and shower. Perfect distance from other campers; not too close to feel overcrowded, not too far to feel all alone. VERY clean. Friendly, helpful staff. STUNNING place to watch the fall foliage in a national forest. Close to many trails and recreation activities. LOVED it, will be coming back. Didn’t see any bears— but you have be VERY careful about disposing your food quickly and properly etc. Still loved it ❤️

Loved this campsite, very clean and well maintained. Large parking/ camp space. Well spaced out and private.

Only complaint, the shower! No water pressure, on timer, and no temperature control (just warm).

We stayed in this NC state park and could not have liked it more. Great hosts, clean bathhouse. Small lake (ok for kids and dogs) but near Asheville, lots of hiking and backs up to the beautiful NC Arboretum with its miles of trails. Ours was electric only, full hookups nearby. I also liked sites 10, 44, 48.

Had a great site where everyone was quiet and very friendly. No power but water was nearby for use. Hosts very very nice and stopped by to say hello! Can’t wait to return!

We were only to snag one night here and loved it! We dispersed camp and didn’t use any amenities, but enjoyed out setup, nature and some wildlife! Driving through the Blue Ridge Mountains leaves me awe struck :)

Lake Powhatan Campground, Asheville, NC 

Tucked quietly away only 10 miles southwest of Asheville, Lake Powhatan Campground(within Pisgah National Forest) is a popular but peaceful campground. 

PROS:

•Quiet, peaceful and clean•Beautiful mountain setting

•Plenty to do in and around the campground

•Spacious sites and spaced apart

•Trails by the miles

•Modern facilities-Hot Showers•

CONS:

•Trail maps would be useful

•Site 28/29 picnic tables were entirely rotted

Three loops off to the left of the main entry(Big John Loop 1-21; Bent Creek Loop 22-35; Lakeside Loop 36-57)...just past Smokey the Bear...and then a 4th larger loop straight down the hill from the Entrance office and to the right(Hard Times Loop 58-97). Which is where the“luxury cabin tents” are located on a separate loop within. These large cabin tents appear nicely appointed, on an elevated wooden platform with tarred porch.

All four loops have a smattering of all types of sites...some that accommodate trailers, some offer pull-thru drives, some electric and water, some have steps up or down to gravel tent platforms. Something for everybody.

The restroom/shower house in each loop offers four(4) doors on one side. Two(2) outer doors are individual unisex bathrooms and the two(2) inner doors are individual showers. All are spacious, well-maintained and stocked. It was in the low 40’s at night and only the restroom and shower on the left side were heated, the right ones were not. I was advised that this campground and facilities are open year round. We stayed at site 28/29(a shared pull-through). Tents must remain on the gravel pull-through...bent a lot of tent stakes on that one. Water spigots are spaces evenly throughout the loops.

Lake Powhatan itself is a dammed reservoir. A picturesque setting, but more the size of a pond than a lake. There is a nice fishing dock and a separate swimming area. The feeder stream is stocked with rainbow and browns.

Trails abound...for hiking, biking and equestrian. Mountain biking seems all the rage. I was dismayed(as a lifelong cyclist) of the lack of common courtesy trail etiquette...like“on your left” or“passing.” Several bombed by without a word and most are narrow trails. Some education needs to take place.

Speaking of trails, the trailhead maps were not adequately informative and the campground was out of the pocket size. Cell service is pretty nonexistent so you can’t utilize some trail apps unless you preload them...Our campground neighbors got lost mountain biking. Locals know the trails intimately, but visitors do not. One trail leads to the NC Arboretum...a very worthwhile visit!...but is quite lengthy round trip. Tuesday was half off entrance at the arboretum for carloads...quite a deal at$8. Several local Craft breweries and Cider Mills close by...and you couldn’t throw a stone in any direction without hitting a bicycle shop. Shameless plug for the Bold Rock Cider Mill and their food truck...the smokehouse bacon burger and apple-grilled cheese sandwiches were excellent. Asheville has a REI and a Sportsman Warehouse nearby, but my favorite is the Frugal Backpacker(which was sadly closed during this visit).

I only stayed a night here but it was just the spot I needed to reorganize my truck and enjoy a wonderful hot shower.

Also really needed the quick swil in the lake in the evening.

This site sells ice and firewood usually (they were out of ice when I was there) and also has a number of "glamping" tents available to reserve.

We camped one night and were glad to be close to Asheville where we ate dinner with friends. Hot shower much appreciated the next morning before we left, but a paved path to the bathroom rather than a trail through the woods would have been nice. The campground was navigable the night before even in the pouring rain.

Got to camp with the bears! Sites were shades and privacy was nice. Water electricity And I'll stay again

We picked this campground due to it's close proximity to downtown Asheville since it was at the end of a week long camping trip. It was the perfect location to go to the brewery district for a couple of hours in the evening (10-15 minutes away). That being said, it felt like you were far from an urban city. The "hard times loop" sits on a hill but the sites are well graded and leveled. The only downfall is they are filled with large gravel which can be uncomfortable if you don't have a thick sleeping pad. The spacing between sites and amount of trees/scrubs is perfect. Bathrooms are clean and well maintained. Staff were friendly. Wish we would have had more time to explore the park!

Decided to stay at this campground after reading the other reviews and it did not disappoint. We stayed in site 50 in the Lakeside Loop - it had more privacy than a lot of the other sites, and was right next to a trail leading down to the Homestead trail that goes around the lake. The facilities included single person bathrooms and showers and were very clean! We only briefly spoke with the people working the entrance station, but they were friendly and helpful. They do take credit cards for firewood purchases, which was super helpful.

Even though the campground seemed mostly full while we were there, we only ever heard the people at the campsites closest to us, and even then only occasionally. 

We used this campground as a base camp for checking out the trails within walking distance of our campsite, as well as few others on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Very close to Asheville if you need to go into town for anything, but felt very secluded and away from the city. We did not have any Verizon cell service while at the campground.

Even though it’s only 10 minutes or so away from the edge of Asheville, it has the feel of being much further away - including no Verizon service.

Several areas were closed due to the time of the year, but still explorable by foot or bike.

Some reviews mentioned the lake being underwhelming. It is small, but looked pretty to me. Also looks like a lot of fishing pressure, so might be a tough bite.

Lots of trails including several that are popular with mountain bikers on the road into camp.

Close to the NC Arboretum, too!

Some sites are pretty close together. The sites closer to the lake have more privacy-without direct lake views. Lake is underwhelming-but still nice. Bathroom and showers are cleaned well everyday-and are heated. Book ahead-the guy said they'd been completely full since June.

20 minutes from downtown Asheville, we got to enjoy the city a little bit while also camping. Campground and staff were great but campsites are extremely close together (we stayed at hard times loop), some of the RV sites at Big John Loop seem to have a bit more privacy, however those are completely paved and not suitable for tents. We have Verizon and usually get service everywhere even spotty locations but our phones hardly worked there and definitely no internet. We got lucky (due to the cold I think), the site next to us was empty until our last day. The showers kinda suck, it’s a few seconds of timed release, if you’re trying to get clean and wash your hair having to keep pushing a button every 30 seconds that the water goes out is pretty annoying, specially when it’s so cold. And the lack of pressure and position of the shower makes you have to almost lean on the wall.

I decided to stay at Lake Powhatan for my first solo camping trip and campsite 063 was the perfect location. I was right next to the campsite host and the bathrooms, so I felt safe the whole time. I went during the week, so despite being next to the bathrooms, it was very quiet. The only downside to this site was the picnic table was directly on top of the trees, so my hammock was almost directly on top of the table. But other than that, I have no complaints.

The bathrooms were very nice. Staff came around and cleaned the bathrooms and showers every morning. And the fact that they were both individual, private rooms were very convenient, as I had my service dog with me, so I was able to bring a towel to put on the ground while I showered and I didn’t have to worry about anyone else in the bathroom trying to pet him.

All of the staff was super friendly, but it was a minor inconvenience that the campground store was closed due to COVID, so if you needed ice or firewood, you had to drive up to the gas station that was a few miles out.

I would definitely go back again though!

Camped here for one night. Busy campground but still pretty private. Amenities were a plus if you’re looking to shower. Only bummer was that dogs aren’t allowed to swim in the lake..Not a bad drive from campground to downtown Asheville!

This is a busy campground. Lots of hikers and Mountain bikers come here. The trails are really fun and there are lots of them. We took a swim in the lake at the beachfront site and had lots of fun. I recommend site 15 on the Big John Loop. We have a 28ft Nucamp Avia and dry camped for two nights. Site is flat and easy to back in to. Dump station was great with potable water separate from the dump area. Took an afternoon trip to Asheville which was only 15 minutes away. All of the roadways are paved so the kids loved to bike and scooter around. Poor cell service so don’t rely on that.

Bathrooms are weak. The map shows it closer to our site but in reality it’s closer to sites 2,3,21. No Laundry and they reserved full hookup sites to tent campers.

Like everyone says , you can’t beat this place for piece and quiet. Very few spots are too close. Bathrooms and showers are clean. Camp spaces are cleaned as soon as the last guess pulls out. There has been a lot of rain this year and beach area needs some clean up and more sand added, but still good enough for us. No ice and firewood being sold because of COVID but , we were prepared for that. Best advice I can give is don’t get hung up on finding spots in certain loops trying to get close to the lake or certain trails , this place is spread out and you’ll have to ride a bike or drive to them anyway.

I really wanted to love Lake Powhatan, it’s so close to Asheville and I thought it would be my go to place to stay when I wanted to visit friends there but the staff was rude and there were so many loud groups at night. I had a prime site with lots of space between myself and my neighbors and an easy walk to the bathrooms with hot showers. Dogs aren’t allowed in the small lake but there are tons of streams along the trails they are allowed in so that was perfect for my senior dog to cool off. The trails were crowded with people and mountain bikers but conveniently located to the campground. Along the streams there were tons of these tiny blue butterflies and I saw a young bear stroll past my campsite one morning, just magical really. At night people showed up late slamming car doors and partying at several sites, some that I could hear weren’t even on my loop and it was a bit frustrating. I also had a very uncomfortable interaction with one of the men working their (who didn’t make it clear he even worked there) who basically restricted my movement for several minutes and then accused me of trying to steal from the glamping sites because I was driving around checking out where I might stay the next time. I was so uncomfortable I packed up to leave right after and the people at the site next to me said they had issues the previous year with the staff, really unfortunate when you are trying to relax in nature. They and I emailed the campground about the incidents with no response from management, I will not be going back.

This was my first time at this campground. It’s pretty but our site was not the greatest. I do not recommend site 16 if you know it’s going to rain. It is sloped a little bit and the water just pools under your tent and overruns your campsite. Site 15 and 20 in the Big John loop are really nice. Try to snag these first. Cheers!